Manchester United set to battle Premier League rivals for £40m Bundesliga defender

According to new reports from Germany, Manchester United are set to battle Tottenham Hotspur for Bayer Leverkusen defender Odilon Kossounou.

With United now under the partial ownership of Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, the Premier League side is turning their attention to the long-term health of the squad.

This season all of United’s senior defenders, bar Diogo Dalot, have missed game time through injury, with the remaining nine players all missing a significant number of matches.

Making 15 appearances, Kossounou, 23, has been a key part of Xabi Alonso and Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title chase, and has now been identified as an ideal defensive recruit.

In a report from German outfit SportBILD, it has been noted that United have been ‘watching’ Kossounou ahead of INEOS’ first transfer window at the club this summer.

Any move for the talented defender is expected to cost at least £42 million, with the current Bundesliga title leaders setting their price for the 2024 AFCON-winning centre-back.

This season, United have been linked with a host of defensive names, including Leny Yoro and Marc Guehi, with the Red Devils’ need to improve their backline being public knowledge.

Whether it’s Kossounou or someone else, Manchester United are in desperate need of defensive reinforcements this summer.

Of the five options the club have at centre-back, only the currently injured Lisandro Martinez will not be in his 30s by the season’s end.

Additionally, both Raphaël Varane and Jonny Evans may well leave the club at the end of the season, with both of the defender’s contracts coming to an end.